Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Smile! You're Running!

Remember back in the old days of AIM and AOL, when you could design a profile complete with quotes, fancy colors, and inside jokes? A friend of mine always had this one in hers:

"The first time I see a jogger smiling, I'll consider it." - Joan Rivers

I wasn't a runner the first million times I saw this quote, but now that I am, I find it running (haha) through my head on particularly brutal runs. I think to myself, "Self, that person driving by thinks runners are crazy. Show them how wrong (right?) they are!" And I slap a big ol' smile on my face.

Smiling through a hard run is a great way to turn it around. So yes, I smile while I run. Take that, Ms. Rivers!

(My natural resting face is quite bitchy looking, and people tend to judge me on that before they meet me; it's almost ironic that my default expression while on a taxing run is a smile.)

I felt the need to toot my own horn a little bit today. For one thing, I set my mind on intervals for day 23 of the streak. Even though the treadmills at my gym don't have a pre-programmed option for speed workouts, I was able to accomplish it, banishing boredom and successfully completing my run.

Borrowed from Remy's World.

I'm feeling ecstatic for being into week three of the RW streak and still going strong. My shin splints are totally gone, and I've been feeling better about pushing my pace and distance this week. Today at the gym I was able to complete my interval run, lift weights, do planks and core work, and do some leg work besides just the run.

All that on my period.

Things that never fail to make me feel badass on a run include running in the rain, running before the sun comes up, and running/working out while on my period.

If I have any male readers, I apologize.

Anyway ladies, remember that regular exercise diminishes symptoms like cramps and bloating. Just another reason to workout!

This post is all over the place. I guess over-exertion is having an effect on my brain. I hope everyone is having a good Tuesday!

Do you smile while you're running?What element never fails to make you feel awesome on a run?Share something random with me. Join the random party!ABK

This is one of your best postings. Brought a smile to my face all the way through it - even laughed out loud once or twice. Glad your streak is going well - happy that you've kept it going. Your mental toughness is on the rise! I smile when I pass other people - or when a song on my ipod brings back a specific fond memory from the past. The thing that makes me feel awesome is when I'm not feeling particularly good at the beginning of a run - not really into it - but I just keep going - and when sometime later after scores of songs on the ipod, I take a look at my GPS watch and see that I've gone 5 or six miles - and I feel much better than when I started. That is an awesome feeling. Getting lost in the run is something I look forward to and savor every moment. Sounds goofy, but exhaustion at the end of a good run is a very uplifting feeling.